Emperor with
six thousand soldiers. Its castle had been the home of these rulers from
the twelfth century: memories of such inhabitants may still be traced.

"In the court-yard of the castle, bound with many an iron band,
Stands the mighty linden, planted by Queen Cunigunde's hand."

The old tree still overshadows the inner yard of the castle, and the
"Heathen Tower" tells of still earlier times. The entire place is full
of antique memories; it has no sympathy with modern life; and you stand
in its quiet crumbling walls, and expect, if the silence be broken at
all, it will be by the heavy tread and clanking echo of a mail-clad
knight. Maximilian himself and his knights, so quaintly delineated by
Hans Burgmair, might rise from their graves, and enter their old
quarters as if they had but left them yesterday, so unchanged is the
aspect of the picturesque old castle which crowns the rock, and was erst
the proud home of Germany's proudest rulers.

But why dwell on the past glories of the warlike great? rather let us
again quote the words of Longfellow, and exclaim

"Not thy councils, not thy Kaisers, win for thee the world's regard;
But thy painter Albert Duerer, and Hans Sachs the cobbler bard."

Of the latter worthy we shall discourse anon; but the place of honour
and our primary attention must now be given to the artist.

[Illustration: Fig. 230.]

In the city of Nuernberg, on the 20th of May, in the year 1471, the house
of the goldsmith, Albert Duerer, rejoiced over the birth of a son. Albert
was thrifty, industrious, and had achieved for himself a good position
among the burghers of the old town. He was a native of Cola in Hungary,
but had sought congenial employ early in life where patronage was more
rife, and had entered the service of the goldsmith, Jerome Haller, who
had perfected him in a knowledge of his art, and finding the young man
worthy, he had ultimately given him his daughter in marriage, living to
rejoice with him over his increasing prosperity, and to congratulate him
on the birth of his son, who was destined to bear the same names as his
father, and to give them an undying celebrity. The young Albert grew up
a handsome, intellectual lad, and his tastes were such as an artistic
life in early youth might lead him to. The old goldsmiths were indeed
the best patrons of ancient art; but for them an important branch of
it--ornamental design--would have wanted the constancy of inventive